RED ~ Hathor

Goddess of the Month : Hathor

'Hathor' by Sharon George

Hathor is the Egyptian Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Music. Often associated with the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi and the Greek Aphrodite, Hathor embodies abundance in life, whether abundance of beauty, wealth, security or justice. A deity of women, she rules anything having to do with the female gender.

She was also widely worshipped as the "Seven Hathors"; in one particular Egyptian tale, when the hero of the story was born, the 'Seven Hathors', disguised as seven young women, appeared and announced his fate. They seemed to be linked with not only fortune telling, but to being questioners of the soul on its way to the Land of the West. These goddesses were worshiped in seven cities: Waset (Thebes), Iunu (On, Heliopolis), Aphroditopolis, Sinai, Momemphis, Herakleopolis, and Keset.

Hathor is the embodiment of success. She lacks ambivalence, instead having an absolute, laser-like focus. She may be joyous and benevolent, or she may be single-mindedly vengeful towards spiritual transgressors. Unhappiness, ugliness, failure: all these are foreign to her, not a part of her being. Even in her most vengeful, dangerous aspect, Hathor takes the form of an elegant if fearsome lioness (Sekhmet), or the searing but beautiful solar eye (Eye of Ra). As the Mother of Mothers, Hathor rules fertility, childbirth, and children. She was thought to be the mother of the pharaohs.

Generally, Hathor is pictured as a woman with cow's horns with the sun between them, or as a beautiful woman with cow's ears, or a cow wearing the sun disk between her horns; or even as a lioness or a lion-headed woman (destruction and drunkenness). She often is seen carrying a sistrum, an ancient musical instrument. The sycamore was sacred to her (Lady of the Southern Sycamore). She was also shown as a hippopotamus, a falcon, or a cobra; however these were not as frequent as the woman or the cow.

Hathor also relates to Hatour, the third month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between November 11 and December 9 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Hathor is also the third month of the Season of 'Akhet' (Inundation) in Ancient Egypt, where the Nile floods cover the land of Egypt. During the festival of Hathor, the priestesses of the goddess would go from door to door shaking menits and sistra (rattle-like musical instruments) to endow the occupants of each house with the favors of life, health, and rebirth.

Hathor's cult is unusual, as both men and women were her priests. Many of them were artisans, musicians, and dancers who turned their talents into creating rituals. Music and dance were part of the worship of Hathor like no other deity in Egypt. Hathor herself was the incarnation of dance, and stories were told of how Hathor danced before Ra when he was in despair to cheer him up.

Hathor was associated with turquoise, malachite and the metals gold and copper. Malachite, mined in Hathor's province of Sinai, was ground into eye make up. Thus one not only worshipped Hathor through the act of embellishing the eye, one also wore her essence upon one's body.

Her demeanor glows with consistent confidence and sunny, good health. Hers is a warm, sensual beauty not aloof or remote. Although she ruled the perfumer's trade in general, Hathor was especially connected with the fragrance of myrrh, which was exceedingly precious to the ancient Egyptians and which on a spiritual level embodied the finest qualities of the feminine.

Her traditional votive offering was two mirrors, the better with which to see both her beauty and your own.

Invoke Hathor for beauty, love, sensuality, abundance and prosperity of all kinds, protection in childbirth and of children, focus, joy, festivals, and creativity.



	Goddess of the Month : Hathor 'Hathor' by Sharon George For more by this artist, click here Hathor is the Egyptian Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Music. Often associated with the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi and the Greek Aphrodite, Hathor embodies abundance in life, whether abundance of beauty, wealth, security or justice. A deity of women, she rules anything having to do with the female gender. She was also widely worshipped as the "Seven Hathors"; in one particular Egyptian tale, when the hero of the story was born, the 'Seven Hathors', disguised as seven young women, appeared and announced his fate. They seemed to be linked with not only fortune telling, but to being questioners of the soul on its way to the Land of the West. These goddesses were worshiped in seven cities: Waset (Thebes), Iunu (On, Heliopolis), Aphroditopolis, Sinai, Momemphis, Herakleopolis, and Keset. Hathor is the embodiment of success. She lacks ambivalence, instead having an absolute, laser-like focus. She may be joyous and benevolent, or she may be single-mindedly vengeful towards spiritual transgressors. Unhappiness, ugliness, failure: all these are foreign to her, not a part of her being. Even in her most vengeful, dangerous aspect, Hathor takes the form of an elegant if fearsome lioness (Sekhmet), or the searing but beautiful solar eye (Eye of Ra). As the Mother of Mothers, Hathor rules fertility, childbirth, and children. She was thought to be the mother of the pharaohs. Generally, Hathor is pictured as a woman with cow's horns with the sun between them, or as a beautiful woman with cow's ears, or a cow wearing the sun disk between her horns; or even as a lioness or a lion-headed woman (destruction and drunkenness). She often is seen carrying a sistrum, an ancient musical instrument. The sycamore was sacred to her (Lady of the Southern Sycamore). She was also shown as a hippopotamus, a falcon, or a cobra; however these were not as frequent as the woman or the cow. Hathor also relates to Hatour, the third month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between November 11 and December 9 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Hathor is also the third month of the Season of 'Akhet' (Inundation) in Ancient Egypt, where the Nile floods cover the land of Egypt. During the festival of Hathor, the priestesses of the goddess would go from door to door shaking menits and sistra (rattle-like musical instruments) to endow the occupants of each house with the favors of life, health, and rebirth. Hathor's cult is unusual, as both men and women were her priests. Many of them were artisans, musicians, and dancers who turned their talents into creating rituals. Music and dance were part of the worship of Hathor like no other deity in Egypt. Hathor herself was the incarnation of dance, and stories were told of how Hathor danced before Ra when he was in despair to cheer him up. Hathor was associated with turquoise, malachite and the metals gold and copper. Malachite, mined in Hathor's province of Sinai, was ground into eye make up. Thus one not only worshipped Hathor through the act of embellishing the eye, one also wore her essence upon one's body. Her demeanor glows with consistent confidence and sunny, good health. Hers is a warm, sensual beauty not aloof or remote. Although she ruled the perfumer's trade in general, Hathor was especially connected with the fragrance of myrrh, which was exceedingly precious to the ancient Egyptians and which on a spiritual level embodied the finest qualities of the feminine. Her traditional votive offering was two mirrors, the better with which to see both her beauty and your own. Invoke Hathor for beauty, love, sensuality, abundance and prosperity of all kinds, protection in childbirth and of children, focus, joy, festivals, and creativity.